C'est La Vie
by l'envoi
Summary: France x South Korea (FroYo) one-shots. Prompt #5 - Smile: South Korea worries over the things that set him and France apart. France teaches him to celebrate the things that bring them together.
1. Un - 하나

Disclaimer: I do not own Axis Powers Hetalia.

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**C'EST LA VIE**

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Notes: Before I start, I'd like to mention that France x South Korea (to many's surprise) is historically accurate. Here is a little background on actual France-South Korea relations from Wikipedia (because as much as I want to link to its references, the mentioned are in French, and I unfortunately do not speak French):

"France–South Korea relations have spanned over a period from the 19th century to the present….France and the Republic of Korea still maintain very good relations. They collaborate on many topics and issues that are facing the world today. This was seen especially on the question of North Korea, which is of course a matter of great importance for both countries. Besides bilateral cooperation, France and South Korea also work together in international organizations such as the United Nations, UNESCO, the OECD, etc.….The French government describes its relations with South Korea as "excellent"

**#1 – Taekwondo (+)**

Yong Soo considers Francis to be his best friend in the whole world. They seem like such a strange pair at first that it makes one wonder how they even manage to get along. But they do, and that's all that matters to them.

Surprisingly, they have similar hobbies and interests and enjoy doing them together. The Korean can do anything with the Frenchman, and the latter never tried to shut him off because of his hyperactive personality. (He can't even count the number of times Aniki and old man Japan did that to him.) The European never scoffs at his ideas nor treats him as if he were some kind of recalcitrant child. Maybe it's because of Francis' brotherly side, but he always listens patiently with a sincere, kind smile on his face to all of Yong Soo's ideas (even to the ones that the Asian found outrageous himself) and laughs at the Korean's attempts at humor.

This proves to be very advantageous when Francis started to frequently fly to the peninsula to strengthen the France-South Korea relations. And although the blond's visits were because of political reasons, the raven-haired youth was just delighted. He always treasured his friend's presence, and he went out of his way just to give the other the best accommodation possible (because great accommodation was invented in Korea after all). After meetings, Yong Soo and Francis would sneak past their ambassadors and go to night festivals. The days the two spent together were some of the happiest times the young nation had in a long time, and much to Yong Soo's joy, it seemed to be the same for Francis…

…which is why he is so concerned when he sees the Frenchman's crestfallen face during one of their dinners.

"What's the matter, France-ssi?" Yong soo asks across the round, white, lace table clothed table the two are sitting around.

"A-ah!" Francis snaps back to reality, looking scandalized to be caught in such an ungraceful stance, and he regains his senses. "No-nothing, _mon ami._ I'm just tired," he replied softly. He brings up his hand to suppress a yawn.

"Is it because of your constant flights to my house?"

Francis seems to be surprised by the question, his hand in mid-air, as if he doesn't know what to do with it. Yong Soo can tell by the way the Francis' eyes shift from side to side that he's considering his answer. Finally, the blond sighs. "A-actually, _oui_. It is because of my constant flights. I was never one that could handle trips on planes very well…Maybe I am getting older," he says the last line with a chuckle.

But even the chuckle can't lighten the mood, as the young Asian lowers his head shamefully with a small pout on his lips. "O-oh! I'm really sorry! That was really selfish of me… I knew that I should have suggested that I should go to France instead, but I just wanted to show you all the things I invented and…" he trails off.

"_Non!_" Francis chirps, shaking his palms in front of his chest to assure the other. "It's fine, _mon ami_! Ju- just don't feel bad! I really like being in _La Corée_. Really! It's just-"

But before he's able to finish his apologies, Yong Soo quickly snaps his head upright with a twinkle in his inky eyes. "Hey, France-shi! I just thought of something!"

The European promptly stops shaking his palms and prefers to raise one of his eyebrows in curiosity instead. "Wha-what is it, _mon ami_?"

"Remember the martial art that I told you I invented?!" he says with a huge grin.

"_Oui._ Taekwondo, was it?"

"Yes! That! And what does Taekwondo specialize in?"

"Ummm…kicking, right? Taekwondo practitioners have very strong and accurate kicks?"

"Mhm!"

"Wha-what about it, _Corée_?" At this point, one can tell the nervousness in Francis' voice.

The youth's smile just grows even wider. "Hey! Wanna faster and cheaper way to fly back to France?! I can't guarantee the landing though…"

**xxx**

Arthur stops mixing his potion, hands still clutching on to the wooden spoon. For some strange reason, he has the strangest urge to fly to South Korea and learn Taekwondo.

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**#2 – Trash Can**

Francis is a little more than surprised to find Yong Soo sprawled inside the Frenchman's dumpster, seemingly half-dead.

"_Corée! _What are you doing in there?!"

"Aniki and old man Japan threw me in here! Just because I told them that Asia originated in me!" the Korean mumbles, swatting away an offending banana peel off his head.

Francis just laughs as he assisted the Korean out of the trash bin and gave the young Asian a peck on the forehead.

Yong Soo was surely not a piece of trash. He was Francis' treasure.

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**#3 - Teaching**

Francis has always loved being a teacher, spending time with his students and opening their eyes to new horizons and making them think in new perspectives…

…so when Yong Soo goes up to him and excitedly asks him to teach him some new French dance moves, Francis immediately perks up, takes the Korean's hands into his own and says:

"Ah! _Oui Oui!_ It's something that I wanted to teach you for some time now! Have you heard of this move? It's called the _FRENCH KISS_! _Non_? Here! Let me show you, _mon ami_!"

He then sharply pulls the young Asian towards him and gives Yong Soo a demonstration that put all of Francis' past executions of the technique to shame.

_Ah…the joys of teaching…_

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**#4 – Soufflé (+)**

Sometimes, when he isn't hanging out with his brother or America nor engaging in Taekwondo training nor practicing his break dance moves, Yong Soo spends his afternoons baking cakes.

It's a hobby of Francis' that rubbed off on him over time. Francis would often bring a box of cake when he'd visit the Korean's house. The European brought many different kinds of various colors and fancy designs: some tall, others round, and others again unconventionally-shaped. However, no matter what kind of cake he would bring, he would always proudly proclaim that it was made with his infinite love for the Korean. Yong Soo would give the Frenchman a big, childish smile and give him a big hug as he silently vowed that he would give an even greater cake to the European the next time he would visit France…

…but this cake wasn't for Francis…

It was for his betrothed, Hyung. Due to their leaders' unanimous decision, the two of them were to be unified once and for all. The wedding would take place two weeks from now.

The South Korean prime minister said he should start becoming more accommodating to his northern brother and bake a cake for North Korea like he always does for France.

Yong Soo already mixed the ingredients and is just about to pop the mixture into the oven. He was preparing a soufflé, the cake that Francis liked the most. If he liked it, then his brother would too.

A small smile creeps to his lips when he remembers the first time he baked Francis a soufflé.

_The raven-haired youth was clumsy enough to accidentally spill the concoction on himself._

_After he was clean, Yong Soo was determined not to screw it up again and put all his effort into baking the cake. Much to his disappointment, it didn't come out nearly as beautifully as the soufflé that Francis had given him a day ago. He spun the tray around slowly, observing the cake from as many angles as he could. It was looked all beaten up and unsymmetrical that it made his heart sink. He wanted to make a cake that Francis would love!_

_He felt the pinpricks of tears forming at the edges of his eyes, but he quickly looked up when he felt the back of Francis' hand wipe away his tears._

_"Don't be sad, mon ami! Look! It's still inflated!"_

_"S-so what! It isn't worth eating! I messed up like I always do!" Yong Soo whimpered, holding the tray with one hand to rub his eyes with the other._

_Francis just placed a comforting hand on the Korean's shoulder. "Non! It may not look like other soufflés, but you didn't screw up! Usually, this kind of cake would deflate if not properly made." He smiled. "You put a lot of love into making this, didn't you?"_

_The young Asian couldn't bring himself to look at Francis, so he just nodded his head weakly._

_"That's the secret of this cake: if you don't put love and care into making it, then it will deflate with just a prick! Oui, see here!"_

_Yong Soo turned his head in time to see the Frenchman produce a thin stick out of his apron. He twirled it in his fingers before he used it to stab the cake. "See! It's still inflated!"_

_He picked out a fork from his apron, tore off a piece, and brought it to his lips._

_He had a big grin on his face when he said, "It's delicious, mon ami! Just see for yourself!"_

_The Frenchman took off another piece and prodded it against the Korean's lips._

_Yong Soo hesitantly opened his mouth and chews on the cake Francis offered him. His lips crack into a smile. It was just as Francis had said._

_"I'm really glad that you made me a cake for me," Francis said with a kind smile on his face. Merci beaucoup…"_

Ever since then, the raven-haired youth has been practicing baking soufflés for the blond many times. Yong Soo smirks as he daydreams. He can proudly boast that none of the cakes had deflated yet.

And none of them ever would because he wouldn't be making cakes for Francis anymore. His leader cut the ties between the two nations, and he hasn't seen the Frenchman since…

…b-but it's okay because he **wants **to reunite with his brother, and he loves Hyung so very much, and…

The oven timer rings, snapping him back to reality. It was finished already?

He walks over to the oven and brings out a hot soufflé with mittened hands. He takes in a whiff of its scent. All that practice had paid off. He spun the tray around in his hands. It was the perfect shape of a soufflé.

It was time for the test…he licks his lips as he holds out a thin stick. After this, he can finally give it to Hyung and everyone would be happy and he would be happy and…

…the soufflé deflates, reduced into a flat, unappealing excuse of a cake.

A large frown is plastered on Yong Soo's face as he feels hot tears trail down his cheeks.

He was deceiving himself the whole time after all.

He wasn't in love with Hyung at all…

He is still madly in love with Francis…

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**Footnotes:**

+ (1) Taekwondo:

- Taekwondo is known for its powerful kicks. It uses balance, hip torque, and powerful, flexible legs. However, the real secret to its strong kicks is the manner in which the stationary foot pivots. When the stationary foot pivots, one's joints align, and balance improves, which positions one's body for better kicking power. Every kick has its own characteristic pivot, and the pivoting action for each kick differs from style to style. (Hallander, 1992).

- "Economic relations between the two nations are strong. French exports to South Korea were worth €2.6 billion in 2006, and France was the seventh largest investor in the Republic of Korea. South Korean exports to France during the same period were worth €4.1 billion. Cultural relations are enhanced by the presence of a French Cultural Centre in Korea, along with that of the Alliance française." (Wikipedia, 2012).

+ (4) Soufflé:

- "A soufflé is a lightly baked cake made with egg yolks and beaten egg whites combined with various other ingredients and served as a savory main dish or sweetened as a dessert. The word soufflé is the past participle of the French verb souffler which means "to blow up" or more loosely "puff up"—an apt description of what happens to this combination of custard and egg whites…Due to soufflés' tendency to collapse quickly upon removal from the oven, the media frequently depicts the dessert in sitcoms, cartoons, children's programs and movies as a source of humor. Often the gag involves a loud noise or poke causing the soufflé to collapse." (Wikipedia, 2012).

- "On the matter of North Korea, France is one of the few European countries to not have official diplomatic relations with the DPRK. Also, France has supported the Six-party talks as well as the role of the IAEA in finding solutions to the nuclear issue." (Wikipedia, 2012).

**A/N**: This is an old chapter I wrote 3 years ago. To be honest, I'm not happy with my writing in this chapter and think my next chapters are better because I feel that it has too much exposition (especially the first prompt). However, I cannot get rid of it because France x South Korea is a rare pairing and need more background for the logic of their relationship to be understood. Treat this first chapter as a sort of introduction. I'll show, rather than tell, the dynamics of their relationship in the later chapters.

I recently got back into Hetalia after being away from the fandom for 2-3 years. I left because of personal reasons and because I was sick of all the fandom wank and the ''screw history lessons, I want to see moe nations screwing' culture that was especially prevalent when I was active in the fandom. However, I've returned to the fandom because I missed Francis x Yong Soo (France x South Korea) and was interested in the fan theories of how the characters became nations. I was actually planning to make a new fanfiction account to continue this series, but changed my mind.

France x South Korea is my Hetalia OTP. I've come to affectionately call this pairing "FroYo," a portmanteau of Francis and Yong Soo, their human names. I've always been interested in West/East pairings. The two nations have good relations up to this day, and I really enjoy FroYo because of how loud Francis and Yong Soo can individually be and how subtle, sweet, and almost secretive the nation's relationship with each other is.

I revamped this chapter because I found lots of grammatical errors. There may be a few left though because I switched from past tense to present.

I plan to update this with a new chapter this week involving Francexfem!SK, SKxfem!France, and fem!Francexfem!SK. I plan to use 'Marianne Bonnefoy' as fem!France's human name and 'Im Soo Jin' as fem!SK's.

**Please feel free to leave short prompts in your reviews or PM them to me, whether it be silly, sad, sappy, etc. (Just not too smutty though, as I'd like to write something with more substance than a PWP) I'd love to read and write them. :D**


	2. Deux - 둘

Disclaimer: I do not own Axis Powers Hetalia. I am also neither French nor Korean, so there may be inaccuracies, as I base most of what I know on my research online. I just really enjoy writing stories which require me to obtain random trivia on various topics. I love trying to incorporate as much trivia as possible into my works. For example, the chapter titles of this fic in the navigation bar are written in both French and hangul...

...you just looked at the chapter titles, didn't you? :P

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**C'EST LA VIE**

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**#5 – Smile (+)**

South Korea wasn't deaf to the musings floating around on his unexpected friendship with France. If he strained his ears enough, he could hear just what the other nations were whispering among themselves in the hallways when he and the Frenchman would head to the conference room to attend the World Conference.

France didn't seem to hear them though, always striding confidently. South Korea tried to ignore it at first, tried not to let it get to him, but it just proved to become harder and harder to do with the strengthening relationship between their countries. The whispers were growing louder, occurring more often, _becoming more and more criticizing_. Sometimes, he'd glance over his shoulder to let them know he knew what they were talking about, but they'd just hide their eyes and turn away to continue their hushed gossip.

After hearing a particularly acrid conversation between England and Japan, the Korean found their many questions running through his mind, but they all boiled down to the same one: Just why were he and France friends in the first place?

He understood why it surprised so many. They were just so…different from each other. France leisurely takes pride in his past as a powerful nation in Europe, while South Korea is racing towards the future as a rising power in Asia. Their homes are practically on opposite sides of the world, and their cultures and traditions are just contrasting.

You didn't even need to look into their backgrounds to see the difference. You just needed to have eyes. China has come to nickname the pair '_Taijitu,'_ and the young Asian can see why_. _France fits the role of the light, white _yang_ quite well with his blond hair and blue eyes, and South Korea of the dark, black _yin_ with his black hair and brown eyes. Even their personalities form a _Taijitu_. The more he thinks about it, the more he notices the little differences that set them apart: France not taking off his shoes when entering a shop, South Korea fumbling with what spoon to use during formal dinners…

The Asian decides that it's about time that they both discussed the matter, since it seems that everyone else has. He takes the opportunity after one of their private meet-ups for cultural exchange. He suggests the two of them eat out to take their minds off that particularly long French lesson. They spend some time walking down the sidewalk together before they finally settle for a small café and order cake and coffee.

South Korea mulls over how he's going to tell the Frenchman about their predicament. He feels that he finally has the words when France speaks, "You're worried about something,_non_?" South Korea was so deep in thought that he did not notice France observing him from the other side of the table, steepling his fingers.

Any forethought is forgotten, and the Korean is reduced to a stuttering mess. "_Y-ye_! I-I mean, y-yes. How did you know?"

France smirks as he holds up his coffee cup. "You underestimate me, _petit Corée_. I pride myself with ze lofty title of '_Grand Frère_.' What kind of big brother would I be if I can't even tell when _mon petit chou_ is upset?" He motions to South Korea with his cup. "Especially when ze signs are so obvious! Your hands are balled on your lap, and you've been gaping like a fish for who knows how long! If you want to say something, just say it, _mon ami_!" he teases.

The younger nation raises his hand to scratch the back of his head and lets out a shy laugh. "Hehe...that obvious?" He lowers his hand and looks straight at France. Dark eyes meet light ones, and he remembers why he dragged the two of them here. He confesses, "Actually, I wanted to ask you...why are we friends?"

France doesn't reply; he just acknowledges the question with a nod, but opts to drink his coffee instead. Worried, South Korea adds as an afterthought, "T-that is if you consider me as your friend, of course. I just assumed because I see France-ssi as my friend...unless that isn't the case, and if so, I'm sorry for making such an assumption..."

The Frenchman gently settles his coffee cup on the saucer. "Why do you ask?"

"I'm just curious, that's all-"

"Is it because of ze gossip in ze conference room?"

South Korea is taken aback. "O-oh. So you have heard it. And all this time I thought you didn't know..."

"_Mon ami_, like I said, I would be a disgrace if I could not tell something as simple as zat," he says simply and flashes a knowing smile.

"So you really knew the whole time?"

"_Oui."_

_"_And it doesn't bother you?_"_

_"Non._ Why? Does it bother you?" He makes a dismissing wave. "Nevermind ze last question. It's rhetorical. Of course, it bothers you! You went through ze trouble of bringing me here."

"So…_ye_…we're so different, so how can we be-" he pauses, "-friends?"

He watches intently as France takes his time considering the question. South Korea needs to know now just what the two of them are and when they would fall out, so he can prepare his heart.

He and France would fall out eventually, he knew that. It happened before with China, with Japan, with North Korea. If he fell out with the brothers he grew up with, how much sooner would he fall out with this European, whom he met by accident not even two centuries ago?

The blond finally replies, "I zink it's time for another French lesson…"

The ravenet persists, "But you haven't even answered my question ye-!"

"_Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose._"

South Korea looks up. "Huh?"

"Translate it for me. _Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose,_" France repeats, this time more slowly, punctuating every accent.

Dark eyebrows furrow in concentration. "'The more…the more things change…the more they stay the same'?"

The blond rewards him with a nod. "Zat is correct. Your French is getting better, _mon ami_."

"But what do you _mean_ by that?"

"I mean what I mean. _Oui_, we're different in so many ways. But despite all zat, do we not get along? Do we not have many similar interests? Do we not enjoy our time together?"

"I think we do…do you?" South Korea can't be too assuming. They hurt him too many times before.

"Of course I do, _mon ami_! If I didn't, I wouldn't have let you drag me here at such short notice, even less meet you regularly for cultural exchange lessons."

"But that could be just to strengthen our foreign relations…"

France throws his hands up in surrender. "_S__acre bleu_! Will nothing convince you, _mon ami_?!"

South Korea grabs the other's hands on instinct and pins them against the table, so as to avoid making a scene. "I-I'm sorry! I just want to be sure!"

The Korean's folded palms tremble against the back of France's hands, and they take a sudden interest in the way their hands cup around each other, as the nations choose to stare at them rather than each other. They don't move for a while, don't even speak. They look like the motionless subjects of a blown-up photograph, the café's window acting as their frame.

Finally, the older man, without even raising his head, utters a single word, "Francis."

The youth raises his eyes. "Come again?"

"I see now that you have the right to doubt, since we don't even know each other's names." France pries his hands from under the grip to pull up his chair. He leans forward. "Let me introduce myself properly then. _Je ireum-eun Francis Bonnefoy imnida," _he says carefully, his nasally French accent seeping into his Korean.

The Korean can only blink in surprise upon hearing this, stunned. His lips quiver as he says, "Your name is… Pyoolanseesu Panehpui-ssi?" His accent is thick, and he has trouble saying what France said with such ease.

"_Ye. _But please drop ze formalities. Just call me 'Francis.'_"_

The youth fumbles with the words, _"_프란시스…Peulansiseu_…"_

"My name starts with an 'f,' mon ami, not a 'p.' **F**rancis," the older man corrects.

_"_PyoolansiSU_…" _the youth tries again, his voice rising at the end of the word.

"_**Fuh**__ransis..."_

"_F-Francis-ssi..."_ South Korea whispers to himself. This…this was unexpected. Nations, as familiar as they are with each other, only ever called each other by their country names. And France…Francis just revealed his human name. _His human name_.

Human names are precious, intimate things for nations. They as heavily guarded as their national heirlooms. They are the pieces of their former lives before taking up the responsibility of becoming a country. They are the mantras they silently chant to themselves when they feel themselves slipping away. They are the last traces of their humanity. They are the last things that belong to them and them alone.

They belong in the hearts of their family, of their most trusted friends, of people. Just when was the last time someone told South Korea their human name? And when was the last time he entrusted someone else his own? It was so long ago, and those memories are as hazy as wisps of smoke, but he still remembers the warmth that bloomed in his chest when he first heard them…the tingle he felt right when he heard the name 'Wang Yao' whispered into one of China's lullabies… the heat rising to his cheeks when he was told that he had keep the blindfold on and keep playing as the _oni _in their game of _Kagome Kagome_, as 'Honda Kiku' was the one behind him, not Japan…

It is the same warmth that flushes his entire body as he replays Francis' name over and over again in his mind. The feeling of trust between two _people_.

He does not reply when Francis first pipes, "_Corée?" _Not even the second time when Francis repeats the question more nervously.

By the third time, South Korea has made his decision. "Non, not _Corée,_" he says firmly."_Je m'appelle Im Yong Soo._"

A look of surprise paints Francis' face, but he relaxes and leans against the back of his seat in relief. "_My apologies._" He lets the words roll off his tongue, "So your name is Eema Yung Thu, _oui_?"

The Asian shakes his head. "_Aniyo._ Yong Soo."

"YooNG thU?"

"Extend the 'oo' sound. Yong _**SOOOOOO**_."

"Yung thooooo."

"Now, you just sound like you're sneezing," Yong Soo comments.

"You're no better, _mon ami_. You make my name sound like one of Japan's pocket monsters," Francis rebuts.

Yong Soo sticks out his tongue, and Francis shrugs his shoulders in reply, raising a cupped hand in victory.

"But all joking aside, it is quite understandable. Like you said, our languages are very different. But it's alright. We'll both get ze pronunciations right eventually, since we'll be spending a lot of time together from now on, _oui_?" Francis chirps, and he gives Yong Soo a wink.

Yong Soo can only nod. "_Y-ye_."

Francis chuckles and offers his right hand to the youth. "_Bonjour…Yong Soo."_

Yong Soo hesitates at first, but stretches his own hand across the table, and the two shake hands.

The Asian retracts his hand from Francis', and in one graceful movement, presses both his palms on the table to give the European a low bow. _"Annyeong haseyo...Francis._"

He silently mouths the name 'Francis Bonnefoy,' etching it into his mind. It sounds so foreign to him…so different from his brothers' names. The family name comes _**AFTER**_ the personal name! And France told him to call him 'Francis' _without any honorifics! _Not 'Bonnefoy-ssi' or even 'Francis-ssi,' but just 'Francis'! Confucius would be turning in his grave if he even heard the idea. But it doesn't matter because it's his _**friend**_'s name..._**his friend's name! **_And not because any French leaders told Francis to, but because Francis decided on his own, and they'd aren't forced to hang out together, but because they wanted to, and-!

Yong Soo is rambling in his head like an idiot, and he knows he's smiling like one too, but he can't help it.

He knows Francis can see it because the blond leans forward, propping his chin on his palm. "Yong Soo, I see zat you are smiling…mind translating zat for me?"

Yong Soo laughs as he says, "It's another way of saying 'I'm happy,' in Korean, Francis."

Francis has a smile that matches Yong Soo's. "What a coincidence! It means the same thing in French."

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**Footnotes:**

+ (5) Smile

- According to a Readers' Digest article I read a few years ago, it was once speculated that the meaning of a smile differed greatly from one culture to another. While there may be a few variations in its meaning (i.e. a Japanese would smile to save face in embarrassing situations, while an American would smile to show he/she is amused), it is more or less a universal expression of happiness. Studies show that smiling helps release oxytocin, which is known as 'the cuddle hormone' and plays a key role in bonding. A person who cannot smile is very limited in his/her ability to pass on information and relate to other people.

- "_Ye_" (hangul: 예) is Korean for "yes," while "aniyo" for "no."

- "_Je ireum-eun _ imnida" and "Je m'appelle _" _means "My name is _," in Korean and in French respectively…or at least that what my research says.

- The translated quote, 'The more things change, the more they remain the same' is attributable to Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr (1908 – 1990). Karr's actual words were: '_plus ça change, plus c'est la même chos_e' (Les Guêpes) It's a proverb that basically means, "Turbulent changes do not affect reality on a deeper level other than to cement the status quo."

- _**Taijitu**_, commonly referred as the yin-yang symbol by Western scholars, is a term which refers to a Chinese symbol for the concept of yin and yang (Taiji). I see Francis' and Yong Soo's relationship as opposites living in harmony.

- _**Kagome Kagome**_ (かごめかごめ, or 籠目籠目) is a Japanese children's game and the song associated with it. One player is chosen as the oni (literally demon or ogre, but similar to the concept of "it" in tag) and sits blindfolded (or with their eyes covered). The other children join hands and walk in circles around the oni while chanting the song for the game. When the song stops, the oni tries to name the person standing directly behind them.

- Koreans typically have difficulty hearing the difference between the f, v, b, and p sound, as the f and v don't really exist in their native language, and the b and p are often interchangeable.

- I tried emphasizing on their accents in the later parts of the story. According to my own opinion and the opinions of other non-French- and non-Korean-speaking people online, the French accent sounds nasally and tends to include a twang at the ends of the words. The Korean accent, on the other hand, tends to sound clipped, and the pitch rises at the end, so it sounds like one is asking a question all the time. In my opinion, it sounds less rough than most East Asian languages, but more long-winded than Japanese.

- To be honest, I was playing around with Google Translate to hear the pronunciations in their languages. In Korean, Francis becomes "프란시스 (Peulansiseu)." I had trouble with French, so I tried pin down the pronunciation using English phonemes. I apologize in advance if the pronunciations end up wrong, as I am neither French nor Korean.

- Confucianism, which plays a very big role in East Asia's cultures, believes that the family is the central unit of the society and places the family before the self. This is why the family name traditionally comes before the personal name for East Asians, and why Yong Soo finds Francis' name so strange.

**A/N:** I was planning to include four prompts in this chapter, but the "Smile" prompt ended up being much longer than expected.

I personally prefer referring to the Hetalia characters by their human names. I've always enjoyed the concepts of them being humans before becoming nations and of exchanging human names as a sort of personal pact of trust between them. I've read a doujin and a fanfic that touched these matters very interestingly, and I wanted to try incorporating it into this story. It also allows fanwork makers to have more liberties with these characters and avoid insulting other people's heritages. Hetalia is all about fun and learning, after all. Knowledge is power!

The next chapter will include genderbends and human AUs.

**As always, please feel free to leave short prompts in your reviews or PM them to me, whether it be silly, sad, sappy, etc. (Just not too smutty though, as I'd like to avoid writing a boring PWP as much as possible) I'd love to read and write them. :D**


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